Tennessee football: Five true freshmen most likely to play early in 2021
3. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. Offensive lineman. Nashville, Tenn.. William Parker. player. 839
6’5″ 317 pounds
When William Parker committed to Tennessee football back in September, it seemed likely Trey Smith and Brandon Kennedy would be gone after 2020. However, when he signed back in February, Wanya Morris and Jahmir Johnson had entered the transfer portal, heading to the Oklahoma Sooners and Texas A&M Aggies respectively.
Then, during fall camp, Riley Locklear was forced to retire due to medical issues, and K’Rojhn Calbert suffered an injury that could keep him out for two months. All of a sudden, the offensive line is much thinner than expected, and Parker could take advantage.
Right now, there are four likely starters up front. Cade Mays can play anywhere, Jerome Carvin will play guard, Cooper Mays will play center and Darnell Wright will play tackle. Everything else is up for grabs, though, and Parker could easily steal a spot.
Even if he doesn’t become a starter, there is plenty of room for Parker to get into the rotation. After all, Josh Heupel will likely need to have a deep line, as his tempo will lead to the need to rotate lots of guys in and out. That’s enough to put the graduate of Davidson County’s Pearl-Cohn High School on this list.